The Magic Shop
by RastleCastle
Summary: Castle and Beckett met as kids in the wonderful place known as "Drake's Magic Shop"


Stepping into Drake's Magic Shop thirteen year old Rick waved to Mr. Drake; then, he started to walk around. Looking at stuff here and picking up stuff there, he couldn't find what he wanted. He was mostly there to kill time, but the summer was almost over and he wanted something cool to show his friends when he got back to boarding school. Pick, drop, pick, glace, drop, glace. All the magic toys were cool but something his done before. He blamed it on the fact that he was at the store every weekend every summer. Maybe what he need was a life when he got back to the city. Just then he was it. The coolest thing he'd ever seen. Maybe a little simple but not to his thirteen year old mind. It was a box, but it had something in it. The thing, a person really, inside the box is what he found mystifying. It was a little girl, or well a little girl doll, but it looked so real. Slowly but surely, he walked up mouth a jar to the box. Staring at the girl inside it he waved his hand just to make sure she wasn't real. She didn't wave back; she didn't even flinch.

_ Okay. _He thought. _Not a real girl. _He put his hand on the glass staring in the dolls eyes. It kind of felt like she was staring back. She couldn't be though. She wasn't real. Little Rick chuckled to himself. This "Box O' Magic" was really cool; alas, he could never afford it. Even if he could it was way to big to bring back to school with him. Plus, his mom would have a freak attack if he brought it back to the apartment. Then, all the sudden, another little hand is on the glass sort of close to his. He turns and see's a little girl. She's probably eight or so. The most beautiful brown hair he's ever seen and when she turns her head to his and meets his eyes he's stunned. The girls look goes from amazed to confused as he keeps staring in her eyes. He hears a cough behind him, so he turns.

"Hey there son, what's your name?" Asks an old man.

"Ahh," He's still a little stunned just thinking of those eyes but he pulls himself together. "Um, my name's Rick, what's yours?" The man chuckled.

"His name's Grandpap." Said the little girl next to him. He turned back to her and smiled.

"Oh. Well...what's your name?" He asked the little girl forgetting that her grandfather was still there.

"My name's Katherine, but everyone calls me," She announces pointing with her thumb at herself, "Katie." Little Rick chuckled.

"Well it's nice to meet you Katie. What do you think of the "Box O' Magic"?

"It's awesome!" She shrieked. "I wish I was the girl in there." Looking at the box once again Rick had a thought and with out really thinking...said it.

"You're so much more prettier then the doll in there."

Then there was silence. To much silence. Rick turned back toward the little girl and saw her staring at him with a surprised expression. Then he thought about her grandfather. He slowly turned to the man and saw a smirk on his face.

"She sure is, Rick." The man said, while getting down on a knee to be closer to there height. "You guys want to see a cool trick?" He whispered.

"Oh, yes, please!" Katie turned to Rick saying, "Grandpap has the best tricks. He's amazing."

"Well I wouldn't want to miss a great magician." He smiled turning from Katie to the old man he just now released he never actually got the name of. Before he could ask again though, he had started his trick. He waved his hand over both there heads, smirking.

"Lady and Gentleman, what is about to happen has never been done before. On the count of three your life will change forever!" He stopped waving his hands, placing his hands on their heads instead. "One! Two! And there!" Poof. There was smoke. Little Rick couldn't see. He started to worry. Then, it was gone and so was the man and the girl.

_What the... _He thought. _Where did they go? __**BANG! **_Rick jumped probably three feet in the air and when he landed back on the ground he heard the sweetest noise. Laughing, but not like any other laughing his heard before. This laugh sounded like heaven. He turned to see the source of the beautiful sound to see the little girl, Katie. Then, he was her grandfather who had apparently a toy that made a very loud banging noise. That noise hadn't been so heavenly but her laugh, oh her laugh, he would live through anything to be able to hear that laugh again. He wouldn't, well at least probably not, because she stopped and what her grandfather says crushes him.

"See you, son, but we've gotta go. Dinner to attend and all that." He smiled and looked down at little Rick. "Maybe we'll see you around here another time." With that he walked off but Katie stayed, for a moment at least.

"Bye Rick." He would never, as long as he lives, forget the way those words leaving her mouth sounded. Just like her grandfather she walked off. Before he knew what he was doing he jumped in to high gear and ran the few paces between them, slung her around, and hugged her. When she hugged him back he knew he wouldn't stop smiling for a month, but just as fast as the hug had started the hug ended because her grandfather was calling her and she left just like that.

"Bye Katie! 'Till next time!" He shouted, which caused her to turn around, look at him, and smile. Then, to fast for him, she grabbed her grandfather, who he'd never gotten the true name of's, hand and trotted off. With that he turned back to the "Box O' Magic", thinking that maybe it was more magic then he had thought before, a smile never leaving his face even as he walked out of the store, back to his house, and up to his bed.


End file.
